Connecting dish to existing cable.

[angelis75]

Hi
I recently installed an 85cm Fortec Star dish with an SG2100 motor. I currently have the RG6 cable from the motor running through my kitchen door, squashing the cable until I figure a better way to get the cable into the house. Is it possible to use my cable company's outdoor connection to feed my dish signal into the rooms. I have discontinued my cable TV but still use the broadband internet service. I have thought of using a slitter to couple the cable and satellite signal into the cable that runs in the house. Im reluctant to try for a few reasons.
1. The receiver sends out some voltage to feed the motor. Maybe this would blow my cable modem.
2. I already have 100 feet of RG6 cable coming from the motor. The added house cable could lower the signal. Of course I could reduce it by 20-30 feet if needed.
3. The internet and satellite signal might not be compatible.
4. Would the cable company allow this?


Has anyone tried this in a similar situation?

Thanks for any advice.

Chris

 

[glen4cindy]

Sorry, but, the CATV co's cable cannot share with your dish.

You will need to run a 2nd cable into your house.

They do make flat "under window" cables that are like 4 inches that allow you to put the cable in thru a window and then close the window, but, that would be a last resort.

Better thing is to drill a 2nd hole near where the CATV comes in because there should be a ground there where you can get a ground block and ground your dish cable before it comes into your house.

 

[angelis75]

Thanks for your advice. I was unaware of the flat RG6 and it sounds tempting but I will see if I can pass the coax through the attic. I have already grounded the dish (not the cable) to an outdoor faucet (about 10 feet away). Does the cable also need grounding. I do not have the RG6 with ground wire so I just attached a point on the dish to the faucet using a grounding bracket and 10 gauge wire.

Chris

 

[Mr Tony]

Sorry, but, the CATV co's cable cannot share with your dish.

actually if there was no splitters in the line it would work with a diplexer

antenna & cable (CATV) run at lower frequencies than satellite

 

[glen4cindy]

Thanks for your advice. I was unaware of the flat RG6 and it sounds tempting but I will see if I can pass the coax through the attic. I have already grounded the dish (not the cable) to an outdoor faucet (about 10 feet away). Does the cable also need grounding. I do not have the RG6 with ground wire so I just attached a point on the dish to the faucet using a grounding bracket and 10 gauge wire.

Chris

When you ground the coax, you don't need the coax with messenger wire, the ground block actually grounds the shield of the coax.

 

[glen4cindy]

actually if there was no splitters in the line it would work with a diplexer

antenna & cable (CATV) run at lower frequencies than satellite

What concerned me about him trying to use a diplexer was his internet service.

Would the diplexer interfere with the two-way operation of the cable modem?

I was just saying that based upon my previous experience as a cable internet installer. Some consumer installed devices on the same cable line often caused problems with the transmission of the cable modem signals necessary for internet use. Just trying to be safe!

 

[Wescopc]

What concerned me about him trying to use a diplexer was his internet service.

Would the diplexer interfere with the two-way operation of the cable modem?

I was just saying that based upon my previous experience as a cable internet installer. Some consumer installed devices on the same cable line often caused problems with the transmission of the cable modem signals necessary for internet use. Just trying to be safe!

Glen4cindy - What frequency does the CATV company use for internet?
Bob

 

[Anole]

Whether the cable and FTA can be combined under any circumstance shouldn't be the question.
It might be possible, but I guarantee you the first time you have trouble with your cable, and call them out, they'll rip out your attachments.
AS THEY SHOULD. -

 

[Mr Tony]

Glen4cindy - What frequency does the CATV company use for internet?
Bob

If I remember correctly, somewhere around 30mhz....below VHF low

 

[glen4cindy]

If I remember correctly, somewhere around 30mhz....below VHF low

The uplink frequency is in the 30 MHz range, and the downstream frequency is usually around 800-900 something MHz, depending upon the system.

Some systems have more than 1 provider as well.

 

[jgabriels]

I would be more worried about the voltages. Wouldn't
having the 18v running down the line cause problems
for the cable company? Also, you are powering the motor.
How does the motor handle running through a diplexer?

If it were all passive, I would just say try it and see what happens,
but with the voltages there is a small possibility that trying it
could break something.

 

[angelis75]

Yes I am powering the motor to get from 83 W all the way to 123 W. That was my concern also. But it seems it might be safer to have a separate cable. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I was not aware of flat RG6 cable or diplexers but now I am. I thought this might be something that was done regularly by people and maybe without the internet complexity it is. If I feel brave down the road I might try it and update everyone.

 

[DishDigger]

I hope I'm not too late getting into this, but I read where you grounded your system to a water hydrant. This is NOT a good practice (especially if you have PVC piping ???). Metal piping doesn't make a good conductor to ground as corrosion can build up over the years and insulate the protection you're trying to obtain. You really should get a copper ground rod 8-10 feet long and drive it straight down in the earth, then attach your ground wire to that.:up

 

[glen4cindy]

I hope I'm not too late getting into this, but I read where you grounded your system to a water hydrant. This is NOT a good practice (especially if you have PVC piping ???). Metal piping doesn't make a good conductor to ground as corrosion can build up over the years and insulate the protection you're trying to obtain. You really should get a copper ground rod 8-10 feet long and drive it straight down in the earth, then attach your ground wire to that.:up

I thought about this, but, it seems that he had enough to think about without me adding something about improper grounding.

 

[SatPhreak]

The flat coax cables that can go through a window or door are good. I have been using one for about 2 years without any problems with a motorized dish. It allows the window to be shut to keep out the cold winter air that I experience here. They are fairly cheap - less than $5 and no holes drilled into the apartment walls.

The dish should be grounded to the house electrical ground round by code.

 

[jgabriels]

I ran across the following diplexer:

Eagle Aspen Single Port Power Passive Diplexer (D2200) | D2200 [Eagle Aspen] | PVDP2 DP2 duplexr duplexer D2200 d-2200 d-2100 d2100


It is only $5 and has an excellent diagram at the bottom of the page.
It looks like you use one at each end to combine/uncombine the two signals.
So it seems to be officially supported. Nothing is mentioned about a motor though.

 

[JosephB]

That one should work. Just be sure the power passing side(s) are used for the dish and receiver and the NON-power passing sides are used for the cable modem.

 

[angelis75]

Thanks jgabriels. I might give that a shot. I did already order some flat cable though
Im not sure if I understand the power passing. Does this mean that the non-power passing side will not transfer the current from the receiver to my cable modem, if I connect it as JosephB suggested? Likewise for the diplexer outside, If I connect the non-power passing side to the cable company's cable, no current should go to that cable but only to the motor?

Thanks

 

[badhat]

Thanks jgabriels. I might give that a shot. I did already order some flat cable though
Im not sure if I understand the power passing. Does this mean that the non-power passing side will not transfer the current from the receiver to my cable modem, if I connect it as JosephB suggested? Likewise for the diplexer outside, If I connect the non-power passing side to the cable company's cable, no current should go to that cable but only to the motor?

Thanks

There is a great schematic somewhere here on the forums where someone explained this type of setup.. if I find it I will post the link. The power passing side of the diplexer will allow the voltage from your receiver to reach the LNB at the dish. The non power passing side is what you would use for the cable input to the cable modem. If you were to hook up your receiver to the non power passing side nothing would happen since it doesn't pass power... it won't burn up your receiver or your local cable system. Cable systems are protected from power insertion, through the cable, into the tap and cable system from the house. Don't get me wrong there are things that can wreak havoc on a cable system from a house but I won't give cable haters any fuel for that fire.